Pit Stop
by VixenReborn
Summary: Even on among the stars, pit stops are often needed. Sometimes though, its far from where you would like it to be and not under the best circumstances.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, but the idea of Zuko's fuzzy coat keeps me warm.**

**A/N: Avatar in Space! **

The avatar and company sat around the small kitchen table discussing the latest dilemma and possibly the worst one that they had ever faced before.

"I want steak," Sokka complained.

"We are out," Katara said.

"What about meat in general?" Zuko asked.

"Out of that too."

"Well we at least have fruit," Aang chimed cheerfully.

"Nope, we are out of that too."

"Well what do we have?" Toph asked.

"Fuel for the ships and an emergency supply stop coming soon," Katara pointed out.

"Where are we going to stop?" Aang asked curios.

"There is a small Water Tribe planet over here," Katara said pointing to a dot on her star chart.

"I've never heard of this planet before," Zuko said skeptically.

"Two things about that Zuko. The first being that I said small. The place is seriously tiny. I think they only really have one major city on the whole planet. The whole thing is pretty much water. So we can expect to stock up on a lot of various water type foods. Secondly, do you really think the Fire Nation would know about all of our planets," Katara pointed out.

He shrugged knowing that she was right on both accounts. For such a tiny water based planet, the Fire Nation would most likely not even give it a second look.

"I'll go set a course, we should be near there already," Aang said as he rose from his chair heading to the control room.

The rest of the group scattered momentarily after. Each scattering to their own rooms to prepare for the off ship visit. Aang had to admit that they had been cooped up too long in space. Even with it not being a big planet the exercise would do them all some good. Aang was sure that with emergency rations they wouldn't starve, but he was beginning to think they just might go stir crazy.

Katara was dressed and ready long before the rest. She went to the ships store room and brought out clothes they had gotten ages ago. She brought them around to everyone much to some of the groups disgust. With the ships regularly heated controls, they kept the ship usually feeling more like a warm spring day. The only time the ship was set on a temp colder was when Zuko and Aang were training and that usually offered up enough heat to warm the place. It had been a long time since any of them stepped foot in such a cold place.

Zuko was convinced that despite the very heavy blue furry coat, he was going to freeze. He was positive the thing looked hideous on him and given the way Aang laughed when he saw him, he knew he not only look hideous, but funny too. The thought of looking hideous didn't bother him too much as long as he could be warm. He was ready to try and replicate the coat just so he might wear them both and try to hope that he might not freeze. They had already banned him from using his fire in any way. That did not help the feeling in his stomach. He also didn't need to be told repeatedly to keep his hood up like they were doing. There was no way he planned to lower it. Lowering it meant reducing body heat and therefore making sure he would freeze to death. It was one death he was determined never to suffer from.

"Zuko, do you just want to stay on the ship?" Aang asked.

"No!" Zuko said defensively.

Aang couldn't tell what scared Zuko more at the moment, freezing to death or going positively mad from staying on the ship for too long. Given that Zuko was willing to brave the cold, he was betting it was the ship. He shook out his own heavy coat and slid into it. Zuko looked at him like he had some how sprouted a second head.

"What?"

"You are going to freeze to death."

"My coat is the same as yours. I'm not going to freeze. I was frozen for a hundred years already. The cold doesn't bother me after that."

Aang knew that wasn't entirely truth. He had noticed that since learning to use fire, he was not as tolerant of the cold as he used to be. When Katara had found him, he had gone back to her home planet and run around in only the clothes he had awoken in. There wasn't even a need for a coat. Now, even under the furry coat a little voice, that sounded much like Zuko, at the back of his mind resounded saying, he was bound to freeze to death.

They set down the ship a short distance outside of town. Aang had to admit, he wasn't looking forward to the hike back, but the movement would do them all a bit of good. If it came to it, he could always call in Toph who had chosen to wait on the ship as she couldn't go barefoot in the snow. They had promised to pick her up something extra nice for it along with extra time in the holodeck.

Quicker then Aang had thought, they approached the cities wall. The guards on top saw them coming and ran inside after Katara signaled to them. The gates began to slowly crank open. They were just about to try and hurry inside as fast as possible, when they looked at the rush of people coming to greet them. Aang was actually happy for a crowd of people, it meant more heat. And it was heat he got.

The people running towards them were all wearing heavy red fur coats. Which could only mean the Fire Nation had invaded the place. Their jackets were causing a huge riot that was now coming their way.

"Anybody ready to go back to the ship and starve or do you want to stay and fight it out?" Aang asked.

Battle cries called our from both sides of him. He added his own to the chorus as they charged the gates. In a short time they had downed all the Fire Nation squads. In their rescue of the town, they discovered that a rogue Fire Nation ship had landed and taken over the place. As a bonus, the town gave them several of their supplies for free and was willing to barter with several of the goods they had obtained now from the Fire Nation squads.

Zuko happily walked back in a red furry coat who as they discovered were way more insulated then the blue Water Tribe ones. He was happy to report to Toph with their discovery and their triumph and also the fact that he did not actually freeze to death.

* * *

FN: Prompt: Item causes a riot (#28 of 50)


End file.
